An overhaul of Piccadilly Gardens and hundreds of new flats for the city centre are just two of the latest developments tabled in Greater Manchester.
Piccadilly Gardens transformation
Piccadilly Gardens has long been a talking point amongst city dwellers. In the beating heart of Manchester, the area acts as a transport hub, lunchtime eating spot and a place to hang about.
Now there are plans to give it a complete makeover. The council intends to make it a ‘distinctive green heart’. A major revamp of Piccadilly Gardens will turn it into a ‘world-class’ destination, council bosses have said. The long-awaited changes at the gardens could be mere months away from starting with a new planning application expected to get the nod of approval by October. It is aiming to create a ‘distinctive green heart’ in central Manchester, with Piccadilly Gardens as the ‘front door’ to the city.
Gary Neville joins 700-flat plan
Elsewhere in the city centre, Gary Neville’s property company has joined onto a plan to build more than 700 flats. This scheme, on Great Ancoats Street, would see 723 flats spread over two apartment blocks, if approved.
A total of 723 build-to-rent apartments could be built in towers 24 and 44 stories tall, along with new office space. The scheme would revamp the site of Stocktons Furniture in Ancoats, over the road from the Manchester Digital Campus on Great Ancoats Street which is expected to become a future base for Andy Burnham’s Number 10 North. The plans were initially proposed by Liquid Funding Business but was hit by delays last year after major concerns about the impact on daylight on surrounding properties, particularly Oxygen tower.
One of Manchester’s favourite Northern Quarter murals could be ripped down under new plans. The painting of a blue tit on the side of 50 Newton Street was created by artist Sarah Yates in 2011 as part of a street art project which was sponsored by Converse. But plans for major repairs at the Grade-II listed historic building could see the iconic artwork taken down.
Bury, Oldham and Rochdale schemes
New details have been unveiled for a huge development planned alongside one of Greater Manchester’s busiest and most-congested motorway junctions. Situated on the edge of the M60, near to the junction 18 Simister Island, the Simister Bowlee development is expected to deliver up to 1,550 new homes on 98ha of farmland between Prestwich and Middleton. It is one of three major housing projects approved for the borough through the Greater Manchester Places for Everyone plan. A primary school and local centre are also proposed for the land on the Bury/Rochdale border. The plans, tabled by the Northern Gateway Development Vehicle LLP, remain in the early stages, with an environmental impact assessment (EIA) scoping request submitted recently.
Nearly 200 new homes could be built in a ‘beautiful’ valley as part of a major new development that includes a new Metrolink stop. Plans have been submitted to Oldham Council asking for approval for up to 192 homes at Birshaw Farm in the Beal Valley in Oldham. The scheme is being put forward by IDPartnership Northern on behalf of Barratt Homes Manchester.
Hundreds of new homes have been earmarked for a vast space of grassland in Bamford. The Rochdalian suburb has long been anticipating 450 houses being built on former green belt land. Now the area is starting to see developers ramp up plans to build. The latest comes from Northstone – a subsidiary of major landowner and developer, The Peel Group. They are currently working on a hybrid planning application for their allocation of 350 homes. This would be split across two sites on the western edge of the land off Norden Road. Some 140 homes are planned for their southern plot as part of phase one, followed by a further 210 homes for the northern plot as part of phase two.
Salford golf club plans
A developer has pitched plans to build around 700 homes and new sports facilities on a site once dubbed ‘the most controversial golf club in Greater Manchester’. Since its dramatic closure in 2020, Swinton Park Golf Club has become an ‘overgrown and derelict’ eyesore attracting trespassers and anti-social behaviour. Now Wain Estates, who purchased the club in 2021, are bringing forward plans to transform the land. The landowners have launched a survey inviting the public to help flesh out plans for the area. The rough sketch currently includes around 700 family homes, including a number of ‘affordable’ properties, as well as public open space, play areas, and sports facilities.
